Automatic faucet



Patented May 10, 1932 PATENT OFFICE;v

CHARLES F. DENCKLAU, or* Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA v,Au'roiierATrc FAUCET Application V:tiled August 8,` 1928. Serial No. 298,361.

This invention relates to atimeperforming mixing chamber for the hot and cold waterv regulated automatically closing faucet. Faucets of this type close automatically after remainlng open for a specific time. Faucets of 5, this type are employed largely in oince buildings and the like, to prevent waste of water. In a common type of such faucets the'valve is 1 closed by means of a spring when the handle or lever of the valve is released. The workloing parts which control the automatic closlts4 Another type of faucet functioning in thisv ing of the valve are in contact with the water and subjected to its deteriorating effects, and v also to the deposit of sediment carried in the water.

manner has been in use, in which hydraulically controlled means is employed to effect a retarded closing of the valve. Such hydraulic means may operate in conjunction with a` closing spring for the valve.

Neither of these types of self-closingvalve4 is entirely satisfactory. The type which is` closed by spring action without being retarded does not permit of any timing or regu-` lation of the flow of water. The hydraulically controlled type by permitting regulation, is objectionable for the reason that it usually functions by means of by-'passes that .tend to become stopped up by sediment in the water,

frequently rendering the faucetentirely inoperative. The faucets of the type referred to above which have been in use are constructed in such a way thatwhen they are opened theV water iiows out with full pressurev and unchecked, and tends to produce a splashing effect in the wash basinV below the faucet.

The general object of `this invention is to produce a faucet having features of construe-1 tion which will overcome these effects, and to provide a faucet which is particularly adapted to meet modern hygienic and water conserving needs; also to provide a faucet which when used together, and which will operate in any event to prevent violent escape of the water from the faucet with incidental splash-k ing. n l w t l VA further object of the invention is to pro. vide a faucet of this type in which thetimed retarding means for retarding the closing of the valve willnotbe wateroperated,inor in contact with the water; also ,to Vprovide a faucet of this type with pneumatic means for l con-trolling the retarded closing of the valve. e

kA further obj ect of the invention is to provide a valve of this type which in closing will not gradually diminish the current of water flowing from thespout` of thefaucet, butwhich willy provide means for supplying a substantially uniform flow of the water asy long as `the water flows.l

Further objects of the peary hereinafter.

The 'invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to be described here-` inafter, all ofV which contribute to produce an eiicient automatic faucet. e l A preferred embodiment of the `invention is described in the following specication, while the broad scope of theninvention is pointed out in the appended claims.`

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a valve embodying my invention. 7 v

Figure 2 is a cross-section through th valve on the line 2 2 of Figure l. v

Figure 3 isa horizontal cross-section on. the line 3-3 of Figure l. f

In lpracticing the invention I provide a water valve and toit I connectia member which may be operated by ones hand orarm to yopen the valve. This member is connected with pneumatic meansthat co-operates ywith the valve'to elfectits retarded closing. In order to accomplish this' I provide a valve body 1 of tubular form, the lower end ofl which is provided with a threadednipple 2 to facilitate securing the valve kbody toa wash-stand or the like. The interior of this body carries a waterchamber 3 which is locatedk above the valve seat 4 upon which av valve closure 5 seats when thevalve is closed.

invention will ap`- .far

i en a bore 7 formed in a tubular seat bushing or baille 8, that lits within the water chamber 3.

The upper end of this bushing is provided with openings l9 through its wall. Y

The upper side of the valve closure or ball 5 is provided with a cap 5a of concavo-convex form.

with a threaded extension 17 to be connected to a water-supply pipe. y Y j In order to provide a water-tight seal for the bushing 8, I provide lthe same with'an annular shoulder 10 whichseatsiupon a soft gasket or packing ring 11. Y

The upperv end -o the body 1 isclosed by a cover 12 which is preferably formed with a curved face 13 that seats' upon a similar face 14, and these surfaces are ground together so that they form a ground'joint.

The cover 12-is heldin place by a tubular guide 15 which is of enlarged diameter at its lower end and connected byscrew threads 16 tothe upper end of the valve body.

Thevalve closure is provided'with a stem 19 that extends 'upwardly through the bushing 8 and through a stuffing box 20'invthe v cover l2. Above the stuffing box this stem is attached vto a couplingQl that connects it to a pneumatic plunger or piston 22 mounted for movement in a pneumatic cylinder v23. The lower end of this cylinder screws into a head 24V formed on the upperend of a tubular connection 25 Awhich may be screwed onto the upper `side of the cover 12. i

integral head 26 having Va bleeder p'ort'27 with an adjustable needle-valve 28 for controlling flow of air through the port and through a smalllorifice 29 ladjacent'the conical tip of the valve. The upper end of the needlevalve may have a screw-driver slot-30 vfor adj-ustingthe. same.

The upperend or head-of the piston 22 is slightly cupped vand receives a soft'packing head 3l of graphited material, or'other expansible material, held inplace by an adjusting screw 32 that passes down into the plunger. This adjusting screw hasa large Vrounded head 32-a that is convex onv its under side n and lits into a correspondingrounded socket on the upper side of the-packing head 31. By tightening up on this screw the mushroom packing 31 can be further extended to increase its tightness in the bore of the pneumatic cylinder 23. n

Mounted to'slide over the pneumatic cylinder`23-I provide a tubular shell 33 the lower end of which carries a cross-pin 34 that passes through the coupling 21 and also passes through diametrically opposite slots 35 in the Wall of the connection piece 25. This pin 34 may have its middle portion threaded into the coupling 21 and is formed at onev or both ends with screw-driver slots 36 to facilitate its removal.

A coil spring 37 may be provided under the head of the piston 22 which assists in restoring the -pistonto its elevated position after the valve Ahas Ybeen opened.-

Y he lower endof the tubular shell 33 telescopes over the tubular guide 15 that extends V'upfromthe upper-end of the'body l. The lower end of the nipple is provided The upper end of the tubular shell 33 may be lclosed by a piece of china l38, marked wardly so as to unseat the valve closure 5.

This downward'movement of the stem 19 also imparts downward movement to the matic piston 22. When the packing lhead 3l moves downwardly, a partial vacuum is" pneuformed in the upper end 39 of the pneumatic A cylinder into which air passes'through the' lower end of 'the' cylinder, moving past the edge l0 of the packing, which will not operate as a tight packing in this direction of movement of the piston. As soon as the sleeve or shell 33 is released, the spring 37 exerts its force to return the valve closure 5 to its closed position. The-closing of the valve, however, will vbe retarded by the air in the chamber 39 which will escape 'slowly through the bleeder port 27. It will be vnoted that the bleeder port 27 opens out on the side facey of the head 26 of the cylinder. This,however,

V will not prevent influx and yelux of air The cylinder 23 may be "provided with an through this port because this head 26 fits loosely in the sleeve 33. v

As the air in the chamber 39 Agradually escapes theclosure 5 .will move upwardly and will eventually come upon the seat 4 and close olf the flow of water to the valve.

The water in Vits flow through the open valve passes up the-bore 7 and lthrough the ports 9 into the water chamber 3. The flowing water fills this chamber 3 so that after the valve closure 5 is seated, the water will continue to flow from the chamber 3 for a short time. VThis tends to give a substantially uniform flow of water through'the spout 6 when the valve is functioning, and prevents spla shing by causing the water to flow through the holes 9 of the baffle bushing 8. y

It will be evident that this faucet can be operated by pressing down on the cap with ones' arm. It can be operated in this way' by persons who do not wish to touch the faucet with their hands.

I f the faucetis connected to a combined hot and cold water supply pipe, the chamber 3 will operate as Va mixing chamber for the water. l

It is understood .that the embodiment of lli) the invention described herein isonly one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

l. In an automatically closing faucet, the combination of a valve body having a delivery spout, a valve seat within the body, said valvelbody having a water chamber to receive and accumulate Water passing from the valve seat toward the spout, a valve closure co-operating with the seat and having a stem passing upwardly through the body, a pneumatic cylinder open to the atmosphere at its lower end and connected to the upper end of the body, a pneumatic piston moving therein and connected with said stem, a depressible shell surrounding the pneumatic cylinder and connected with the stem for depressing the same to open the valve and move the pneumatic piston toward the open end of the pneumatic cylinder, and operatingk to admit air in the pneumatic cylinder above the pneumatic piston, said cylinder having a bleeder port to eifect the retarded closing of the valve.

2. In an automatically closing faucet, the combination of a valve body having a delivery spout, a valve seat within the body with a water chamber to receive and accumulate water passing from the valve seat toward the spout, a cover for the water chamber, a tubular guide having a threaded connectionV with the upper end of the valve body to hold the cover in position, a valve closure co-opthe pneumatic cylinder and connected at its lower end with the stem for depressing the same to move the valve closure to its open position, and operating to admit air into the upper portion ofthe pneumatic cylinder, said cylinder having a bleeder port in its upper end to effect the retarded closing of the valve.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 2d day of August, 1928.

' CHARLES F. DENCKLAU.

and operating to admit air into the pneumatic cylinder and simultaneously compress said spring, said cylinder having a bleeder port to effect the retarded closing of the valve.

3. In an automatic closing faucet, the combination of a valve body having a delivery spout, a valve seat within the body, said body having a water chamber with constantly open ports communicating with the valveopening through the valve seat, to receive and accumulate water passing from the valveseat toward the spout, a valve closure cooperating with the seat and having a stem passing upwardly through the body, a pneumatic cylinder connected to the upper end of the body, a pneumatic piston moving therein and connected with said stem, a shell surrounding 

